Method of producing planographic printing-forms.



G. R. CORNWALL.

METHOD OF PRODUCING PLANOGRAPHIG PRINTING FORMS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 24, 1905. RENEWED DBO. 10,1912.

1,069,855. Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E i Fly 3. A H t l H I HI llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllfllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllll! 5 Punt mg IS the art preservatlye,

QMQW COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINCITDN. n. c.

G. R. CORNWALL.

METHOD OF PRODUCING PLANOGRAPHIG PRINTING FORMS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 24, 1905 RENEWED DEG. 10,1912.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

m% Q i COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO" WASHINGTON D. c

results of a high order. objects of invention will more fully appear UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE R. CORNWALL, OF RYE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PLANOGRAPH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF PRODUCING PLAN OGRAPHIC PRINTING-FORMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Application filed July 24., 1905, Serial No. 271,094. Renewed December 10, 1912. Serial No. 736,046.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. CORNWALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eye, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and use ful Method of Producing Planographic Printing-Forms, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the art of printing and, more particularly, to the production of planographic printing forms, and has for an object the providing of a method of preparing such forms comprising letterpress matter, which shall be expeditious, inexpensive, and admit of the making of corrections, substitutions, transpositions, insertions or alterations with accuracy and celerity and which is capable of producing These and other hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel methods, steps, parts, articles, improvements and herein and forming a part hereof, illustrate certain steps in the process as carried out with one variety of means applicable for such purpose, said drawings serving in connection with the description herein to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 illustrates forms of line bars; Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate one means for placing characters upon a line bar; Fig. 4 illustrates a yielding line bar with a line of characters thereon; Fig. 5 illustrates the transfer of a line of characters from the yielding bar to the rigid bar; Fig. 6 illustrates the rigid bar with a line of characters thereon; Fig. 7 illustrates a series of such bars assembled in a chase; Fig. 8 illustrates the taking of a transfer from the assembled bars; Fig. 9 illustrates the transfer of the matter carried by the transfer sheet to a surface adapted to be prepared for planographic printing; and Fig. 10 represents a planographic printing form.

As herein illustrated the method is shown as carried out by hand, although, if desired,

machines may be employed in performing certain of the steps involved therein. For the purpose of carrying out certain steps of the process, a machine such as that disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 286,386, filed November 8, 1905, may be employed, such a machine being adapted for placing characters in justified relation upon a line bar, and then giving an impression from said impressed bar upon another bar.

The invention, in one of its aspects, contemplates, as one step in the preparation of a planographic printing form, the interposition between rigid types and a rigid impression-receiving and impression-yielding surface, of a yielding impression-receiving and impression-yielding surface. Impression-receiving and impression-yielding surfaces of ayielding nature are shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings in the form of line bars, 1 and 1*. The bar 1 is shown of uniform material throughout, while the bar 1 is shown having its impression-receiving surface 2 of a different material. Upon a surface of this nature characters are imposed in lines and series of lines. The characters composing such lines may be in justified relation with respect to a line measure, and the characters may be imposed singly or in groups, or entire lines at a time. The imposed characters are placed upon the yielding surface in a suitable medium of such a nature that they may be thereafter transferred therefrom to another surface by what is known as offset printing, although, in some aspects of the invention, transfer of the line of characters from one surface to another may be effected otherwise than by offset.

The manner of carrying out the process herein shown, however, makes use of a yielding offset line bar upon which a line of characters is placed in one of the ways hereinbefore mentioned. One manner of placing the line of characters upon the yielding bar is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, wherein a unit scale 3 is applied to the bar and the characters are imposed thereon by hand, the regulation of the interverbal spaces being foreseen and predetermined by calculation, when a justified line is desired. Should machines of the character shown in the hereinbefore-mentioned patent be used, such machines are capable of automatically placing the characters one at a time upon the said bar and in such relation with regard to the interverbal spaces that a justified line is obtained. In such machines the types usually employed are of an unyielding nature, and the interposition of a yielding medium between the unyielding types and an unyielding bar is advantageous in order to produce superior typographic results. As hereinbefore stated, however, the particular manner of placing the characters upon the yielding bar is, in many aspects of the invention, not essential and the characters may be imposed a line at a time or otherwise, as desired. The medium in which the characters are impressed by the printing means upon the yielding surface may be a lithographic transfer ink, which is adapt able for use when it is desired to transfer the printed matter from the yielding surface to a surface adapted to be prepared for printing planographically.

In the illustrated manner of carrying out the process, the yielding bar, after having been impressed with a line of characters l, and the rigid bar 5 are brought into exact registry and in such relative position that the line of characters will go down upon the impression-receiving bar in the desired relation thereto. Pressure is then applied by any suitable means, such as the roller 6, as shown in Fig. 5, in order to bring the surfaces of the two bars into more intimate contact, and when the bars are separated the line of characters will be found offset onto the impression-receiving bar, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings at 4*. If a suitable medium for the purpose, such as the lithographic transfer ink mentioned, is used, the rigid line bar, the surface of which, or the entire bar, being of a plano-graphic material, such as zinc or aluminum properly grained, etched, polished, or otherwise treated, may be prepared for planographic printing in any manner known to the art, as by gumming, rolling up, etc., or, for instance, in the manner described in U. S. Patent No. 643,892 issued to George R. Cornwall. If desired, however, and as will be frequently found most convenient, a series of impressed bars may be assembled into a form, as shown in Fig. 7 before being prepared for printing planographically as hereinafter described. In such case, the transfer of lines of characters from the yielding to the rigid impressionreceiving and impression-yielding surfaces is repeated until a desired number of the impressed planographic line bars are secured whereupon the said bars may be assembled into a form by the use of suitable holding means, such as the chase 7 shown in Fig. 7 whereupon the said-assembled bars may be subjected to such treatment as is necessary to prepare them for printing planographically. The said bars having been grained, or having received other equivalent treat ment, prior to the impression, as hereinbefore indicated, are treated with a gum so-, lution, preferably acid, while held in the chase, rolled up, and otherwise prepared for printing planographically, in a well-known manner, or, if desired, may be subjected to the process set forth in the before-mentioned U. S. Patent No. 643,892.

The bars assembled and held in proper relation by their chase constitute a planographic printing form. However, as it is frequently desirable to have the form consist of a flexible, unitary plate, the said bars and chase may, in such case, be regarded as a temporary form for use-in securing impressions for use in proof reading, and for then affording opportunity for adding, subtracting, transposing, substituting and otherwise manipulating the bars, to effect the changes, including the substitution of corrected bars for those containing errors, which may be found necessary or advisable from the reading of proof.

Having secured by the practice of the preceding steps of the method a corrected temporary form and after the surfaces of the bars have been suitably inked, or treated with other suitable transferring medium, the characters are transferred therefrom by suitable means, to a unitary metal plate of such nature as is adapted to be prepared for printing planographically, or, obviously, the transfer could be made to a stone where desirable. In Fig. 8 an ordinary transfer sheet 8 is shown applied to the surfaces of the bars in the temporary form, and as taking off said transfer sheet may then be applied to an impression 4 therefrom. The

the unitary plate, which may be of zinc or aluminum, in a manner well-known to the art. In Fig. 9 such a plate is shown at 9 1 having the lines of composed matter 4:

thereon. After the characters have gone down upon the plate from the transfer sheet,

the said plate may then be prepared for 1 printing planographically in any suitable manner, as for instance, by being subjected to the method set forth in U. S. Patent No. 643,892 before mentioned. In Fig. 10 a unitary planographic form is shown, generally,

ready to be placed upon the press and to be printed from.

From all the foregoing it will be underf stood that the process of producing a planoi graphic printing form included by this invention provides for the interposition of a yielding impression-receiving and impression-yielding surface between a rigid imprinting means and a rigid planographic impression-receiving surface, that said interposed surface may consist of a line bar which affords easy and accurate means for handling and for registering the line, and that the surface of the said bar may be of materialcapable of receiving and then yielding up an offset impression, thereby eliminating the use of transfer paper in placing the characters upon the planographic line bars, and 5' that the bars are brought into requisition, in

certain cases in order to provide a temporary form having the requisite flexibllity in i the work of correcting matter after proof reading, and otherwise.

Other advantages are realized by this process in addition to those specifically set forth.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises the placing upon a line bar having a. yielding surface adapted for offset printing of a line of characters in a suitable medium, placing the impressed surface of said yielding bar in contact with a surface adapted to be prepared for printing planographically, offsetting the line of characters from the said bar onto the said surface, and then preparing said surface for printing planographically.

2. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises the placing upon a yielding surface adapted for offset printing of a line of characters in suitable medium, placing the impressed yielding surface in contact with the surface of a line bar, said latter surface being adapted to be prepared for printing planographically, offsetting the line of characters from the said yielding surface onto the surface of the planographic line bar, and then preparing the surface of said line bar for printing planographically.

3. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises the placing upon a line bar having a yielding surface adapted for offset printing of a line of characters in a suitable medium, transferring said line of characters by ofiset impression to a planographic line bar, transferring the line of characters from said planographic line bar to another surface adapted to be prepared for printing planographically, and then preparing said latter surface for printing planographically.

4:. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises the placing upon a line bar having a yielding surface adapted for offset printing of a line of characters in a suitable medium, placing the surface of said yielding bar in contact with the surface of a line bar adapted to be prepared for printing planographically, transferring said line of characters by offset impression to the planographic line bar, preparing the planographic line bar for printing planographically, taking an impression from said planographic line bar upon' a transfer medium, and then transferring the line of characters from said transfer medium to another surface adapted to be prepared for planographic printing, and then preparing the said surface for printing planographically.

5. The method of producing a plano graphic printing form which comprises the placing upon a yielding line bar of a line of characters in a suitable medium, and then transferring the line of characters from the yielding line bar to a planographic line bar, and preparing the impressed surface of said planographic line bar for printing pianographically.

6. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises printing in ink a line of characters upon a yielding surface, and then transferring the line of characters from the yielding surface to a planographic line bar, and preparing the impressed surface of said planographic line bar for printing planographically.

7. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises the placing upon a line bar having a yielding surface adapted for offset printing of a line of characters in a suitable medium, and then offsetting the line of characters from the said bar upon a planographic line bar, and preparing the impressed surface of said planographic line bar for printing planographically.

8. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises the placing upon a line bar having a yielding surface adapted for offset printing of a line of characters in a suitable medium, bringing the impressed surface of the said line bar into register and into contact with the surface of a line bar having a surface adapted to be prepared for planographic printing, offsetting upon the surface of the plano-' graphic line bar the line of characters from the offset bar, and thenpreparing the surface of the planographic line bar for printv ing planographically.

9. The method of producing a plano-:

ferring said characters by offset impression" to the surface of a line bar adapted to be prepared for printing planographically, repeating the said steps with respect to successive bars, assembling the impressed planographic line bars into a form, and preparing the said bars for printing planographically.

10. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises the placing upon a line bar having a yielding surface adapted for offset printing of a line of characters in a suitable medium, transferring said characters by offset impression to the surface of a line bar adapted to be prepared for printing planographically, repeating the said steps with respect to suecessive bars, assembling the impressed planographic line bars into a form, preparing the said bars for printing planographically, applying a suitable ink to the surface of the bars, taking an impression of the said assembled bars upon a transfer sheet, transferring the impression from said sheet to a surface adapted to be prepared for planographic printing, and then preparing the said surface for printing planographically.

11. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises the placing upon a line bar having a yielding surface adapted for ofi set printing of a line of characters in a suitable medium, transferring said characters by offset impression to the surface of a line bar adapted to be prepared for printing planographically, repeating the said steps with respect to successive bars, assembling the impressed planographic line bars into a temporary form, preparing the said bars for printing planographically, applying a suitable ink to the surface of the bar, taking an impression from the said temporary form for a proof impression, and making such changes in the line bars constituting the temporary form by way of addition, subtraction, or transposition, as may be necessary or desirable fro-m proof reading.

12. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises the placing upon a line bar having a yielding surface adapted for offset printing of a line of characters in a. suitable medium, transferring said characters by offset impression to the surface of a line bar adapted to be prepared for printing planographically, repeating the said steps with respect to successive bars, assembling the impressed planographic line bars into a temporary form, preparing the said bars for printing planographically, applying a suitable ink to the surface of the bars, taking an impression from the said temporary form, making such changes in the line bars constituting the temporary form by way of addition, subtraction, or transposition, as may be necessary or desirable from proof reading the impression, taking an impression of the corrected form upon a transfer medium, and trans ferring the impressed matter from said transfer medium to a surface adapted to be prepared for planographic printing, and then preparing the said surface for printing planographically.

13. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises the placing of-a line of characters upon a yielding impression-receiving and impression- 1 graphic printing form which comprises the placing of a line of characters upon a yielding impression-receiving and impression-- yielding surface by means of rigid imprinting means, transferring the line of characters from said; yielding surface to a rigid impression-receiving and impression-yielding surface, transferring successive lines of characters to such rigid impression-receiving and impression-yielding surfaces in succession, and then preparing said rigid surface to form a printing plate.

15. The method of producing a planegraphic printing form which comprises placing the successive lines of a composition upon a series of planographic line bars by means of a yielding impression-yielding surface and then placing the composition from said line bars upon a unitary lanographic surface. I

16. The method of producing a plano-g graphic printing form Which comprises placing letter press matter upon a yield-L ing surface and conveying it therefrom toi the final unitary form by means of an inter-1i mediate surface consisting of a plurality oft composition units.

17. The method of producing a planographic printing form which comprises placing letter press matter upon a yielding, impression-receiving and impressi0nyield-} ing surface, and conveying it therefi'om to; a final unitary form by means of an inter-; mediate surface consisting of a plurality of separate and interchangeable composition units.

In witness whereof I have signed myi name to this specification in the presence of; two subscribing Witnesses. 5

GEORGE n. CORNWALL.

Witnesses:

J OHN D. MORGAN, Aneusrn L. SALTZMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

